1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a container for processing foods providing not only the package in which the food product is packed, processed and distributed to the point of use in the food service industry; but also providing the vessel in which the food may be heated at the point of use, and from which the heated food may be directly served at a steam table or other serving center. Processing food in the traditional No. 10 cans takes a relatively long time, which may affect the flavor, texture and color of the food product being heated; and thus the invention further relates to a container construction in which food products may be processed more rapidly than in No. 10 cans.
More particularly, the invention relates to a tray-type processed food container which has many advantages in use in standard food service systems as compared either with the use of the traditional No. 10 can or as compared with the use of frozen food packages. Further, the invention relates to a new construction and arrangement of tray-type processed food containers which are characterized in use by improved food product quality, faster processing time, reduced energy costs for heating, and expanded use as containers for types of food which do not lend themselves to standard processing in No. 10 cans.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally, No. 10 cans have been used with stainless steel serving trays in standard systems in the food service industry for serving processed foods in a steam table. Prior systems involve heating the processed foods in a second vessel; and after heating, the food is emptied from the vessel into serving containers, normally a stainless steel serving pan commonly used in volume feeding establishments and located at a food service steam table. This prior procedure also requires washing and cleaning the commonly used serving pans after each use. The cost of pan cleaning may amount to fifty cents per pan.
Other prior food service systems use frozen foods and involve time-consuming thawing, which can slow down food service under sudden overload demand at a serving station. Further, the frozen food service systems require investments in freezing equipment for storing the packages of frozen foods. Possible losses, and therefore higher unit food prices may be involved because of premature thawing of frozen foods on unloading docks or at any point in the distribution of frozen foods from the packer to the point of use. In addition, the cost of a food product is increased by the cost of freezing them and keeping them frozen during distribution.
Accordingly, there is an existing need in the food service industry to eliminate the disadvantage of the traditional use of the No. 10 can for processed food containers, and for eliminating the described disadvantages characterizing the use of frozen processed foods in food service systems.